After five scoreless innings between Alabama and Samford in Sunday’s Easton Crimson Classic finale, senior Carrigan Fain posted the biggest hit of the game on her senior day, a go-ahead RBI single that made all the difference in the 1-0 victory for the Crimson Tide.

“After Maddie [Morgan] laid down the great bunt to get Elissa [Brown] over to third, I look over and of course Crash [Fain] is up on her seinor day,” UA head coach Patrick Murphy said. “She had a good rip the first time. She hit it hard on the first pitch and was aggressive. I’m really happy for her. It couldn’t happen to a better kid.”

Alabama (17-5) and Samford (5-20) were locked in a scoreless tie for five innings, with the Bulldogs out-hitting the Tide 6-2. In the bottom of the sixth with one out and a runner at third, Fain came through with an RBI single up the middle to break the scoreless tie and give Alabama a 1-0 lead. Junior Courtney Gettins (7-1) threw 6.2 innings to earn the win while senior Alexis Osorio entered to secure the final out in the seventh inning and earn her third save of the season.

“I think she’s one of the best examples of a servant leader,” Murphy said on Crash. “She always asks what she can do for others instead of what they can do for her. She probably does things behind the scenes I’ll never know about with helping the team and its chemistry. She’s a great student-athlete who will graduate in four years. That’s what college athletics is all about.”

In the top of the second with one out and no score, Samford loaded the bases but Alabama got out of the jam with a force out at home and a strikeout to end the half-inning. With one out in the bottom of the third, freshman Kaylee Tow drew a walk and sophomore Bailey Hemphill blasted a double to the wall in left field, putting two runners in scoring position. With two out in the inning, a walk to junior Reagan Dykes loaded the bases but a fly ball left all three stranded as the score remained 0-0.

Samford put two on base in the top of the fifth inning but could not break the scoreless tie and stranded another in scoring position in the top of the sixth. Dykes led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk and sophomore Elissa Brown entered as a pinch runner, stealing second and moving to third on a sacrifice bunt. Senior day honoree Fain followed with the biggest hit of the day, poking an RBI single up the middle to score Brown and give the Tide a 1-0 lead.

Alabama took the one-run lead to the top of the seventh and, after retiring the first two batters, Samford’s Ryan Brzozoski kept the inning alive with a two-out single up the middle. Osorio then entered the game in relief, striking out the final batter on three swinging strikes to earn her third save of the season and secure the 1-0 win.

Next up, Alabama makes a midweek trip to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech Wednesday, March 14 at 5 p.m. CT. The following weekend, the Tide opens Southeastern Conference play with a three-game series at Auburn starting Friday, March 16 at 6 p.m. CT. Saturday’s game will air live on ESPNU at 7 p.m. CT and Sunday’s will air on SEC Network at 5 p.m. CT.

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